Driving-gear for automobiles.



P. J. RIVERS. DRIVING GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1908.

Patented Ma? 10, 1910.

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' WITNESSES AJTORMEVS v P. J. RIVERS. DRIVING GEAR POR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1908. 1

aga, v 28 PatentedMay 10,1910.

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PHILIP ii. RIVEELQ, 015 NEW? EQSHEIJLE,

MEX-F DRIVING-GEAR FEB; .'aUTilMfiBILEEi.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented y 1c, 1910.

Application filed July at, 190g. Serial No. 445,9 1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP J. RIvERs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving- Gear for Automobiles, of which the followand exact description. lhis invention relates more to mechanism for positively driving the forward axle of automobiles.

The primer object of the invention is to and whereby the forward bile or vehicle may be Wheels of an automopositively driven and urposcs without at all being interfered wit by the driving mechanism, thus increasing the the vehicle and preventin the slip resulting from 'theusual method 0 driving the rear wheels only, and which invention also serves to reduce the liability of the machine to skid while turning curves.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby both the rear and the forward wheels of the vehicle or machine may be positively driven, and to provide dr ving means whereby the forward wheels I Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section all taken on the 1ineIVIV of Fig. 1*; and Fig. 5 is a fra mentary section taken on the line V-V- of %i 1.

While I have shown my invention as plied to a particular form of vehicle supporting frame in which is shown orm of steerin mechanism, it will be understood that t e invention which applies more particularly to the method of driving the front wheels may be employed with maapand one particularly to which the rear wheels efi'ective mechanism-- and is connected at at, the end of the description.

either direction,

chines and vehicles and independent of, or in combination with the usual or any referred form of 'driving inephanism for tie rear Wheels of the veof various constructions,

The frame 10 may be of any suitable construction, and may motor 11 mounted thereon in the usual way, and at the rear of the vehicle is the axle 12 13 are held, and at the forward part of the vehicle is the axle 14, and held in alinementwith the axle 14 are the short studs or axles 15 of the wheels 16 which are in alinement with the axle 14 and form substantially a continuation thereof though independentlyv movable with relation thereto.

,The front axle 14- is held to rotate in the sleeve 17 which is. suitably held to the for.- ward part of the ends forked, as end of the sleeve17 is arranged a shaft 19 have arr'engine or other frame 10, and has itsouter at 18, and in each forked which extends vertically and forms with the stud or axle 15 a substantially T-shaped deto or formed integral with the shaft 19, and held to each shaft 19 or formed integral therewith is an arm 20 which is connected by a rod 21 so as to move the wheels 16 V108. The part 15 of. each wheel 16 is held" horizontally and in unison with the shaft 19 forming a pivot. An arm 22 extends outward from one of the shafts or plvots 19, its inner end by a rod 23, and this rod 23 has one end guided in a bracket 24, extending downward from the frame and at an angle thereto, and said rod is provided with teeth25 forming a rack which is in mesh with the by the end of a rod or she t arranged the steering wheel ing shaft 27 is journaled in the bracket 24, and when rotated will move the rod 23 in and the arm 20 will operate both shafts 19 in unison and thereby simultaneously shift both of the wheels 16 To drive the forward wheels 16 I provide a drive shaft 29 extending forward from the engine and said shaft is journaled at one end in a part 17 is divided'transversely thereof, as at 31', to form two members 32 and for the axle inion 26 carried- 27 on which is; 28. The steerand through the arm 22 in either direction to properly steer the vehicle.

30 of the sleeve 17. The sleeve 14, and said members 32 and 33 areheld together by means of arms or bracket portions 34 which may be bolted together, as at 35, and form a s ace between the ends of said members. A evel gear 36 issecured are each provided witha key which is ada tof the she ed to move in a groove in the end of t e axle 14 so as to have a lengthwise movement thereon, but so as to rotate therewith, and the grooved collar 39 of the ear 38 is ada ted to be engaged by the orked end 0 a lever 40, while the grooved collar 39 0f the gear 37 is en aged by the forked end of a lever 41. The evers 40 and 41 are pivoted at 42 to brackets or arms 43 extending from the ends of the sleeve 17, and connected to the outer end of the lever 40 is a rod 44 which is connected at one end to the forked end of the lever 41 so that both levers 40 and 41 may be operated in unison. The lever 41 has its end rovided with a bracket 45, and this bracket is connected by a rod or link 46 to the lower end 47 of a hand lever 48. Asthe lever 48 is moved on its pivot it will cause the link to throw the'lever 41 on its pivotlto shift the relative positions of the gears 37 .and 38, and tocause the same to be disengaged from .or 'to mesh with the gears 49 and 50, the former of-which is adapted to mesh with the gear '37 of the forward axle, and'the gear 50 with the gear 38. The bevel fgears 49 and 50 are independent t 19 and bracket 18 and are arranged horizontally with the shafts 19 as their axes. A bevel gear 51 issecured to one of the forward wheels 16, and this gear is in mesh with the gear 49, and a bevel gear 52 is in mesh with the gear 50, and is carried by the other forward wheel 16. By having the gears 51 and 52 carried by'the wheels 16 and movable about the gears 49 and 50, the said forward wheels may be positively driven no matter in What position the wheels may be placed by the steering mechanism, and by the means shown the said forward wheels maybe driven or not according to whether the bevel gears 37 and 38 are in mesh with the gears 49 and 50 respectively.

The forward axle may be driven in connection with the usual or any preferred driving mechanism for the rear axle 12 or independent thereof, and as one means of driving the rear axle, provide a shaft 53 which is adapted to be operated by the engine or motor 11, and on the end of said shaft 53 may he held a bevel gear 54 which is in meshwith the bevel gear 55 arranged on the axle 12. The-end of the shaft 53 and the axle 12 may have a bearing in a ts forward wheel, thus materially saving the wear on the wheel tires, and also materially assisting in the power secured through the motor by reason of overcoming the slip which results when the wheels are not positively driven; that said means serves to prevent the machine from skidding, and that said mechanism may be applied to automo- 8 biles as ordinarily constructed. I Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a vehicle. driving mechanism, the combination with a frame, of a forward and a rear axle mounted thereon, a sleeve forming a journal for the forward axle, a wheel pivotally held to each end of the sleeve, means for moving the wheels horizontally on their pivots in unison, a gear carried by each wheel, a second gear slidingly held on each end of the forward axle, intermediate gears connecting the gears on the ends of the forward axle to operate thegears of the wheels means connecting the hand lever'to nema the gear operating levers whereby the sliding gears may be operated so that the for Ward wheels may or may not be positively driven. L ,7

2. In a vehicle driving mechanism, the combination with a frame, of a forward,

and a rear axle mountedthereon, pivotally '1'" held vehicle wheels at the forward parhof 1 the vehicle, means for moving the wheels 5 in unison, a bevelt gear slidingly-heltl on each end of the forward axle, gears rhething therewithfor driving the wheeis' i'n',

. whatever position they are placed, levers tor I o moving the gears on the axle inwardly or outwardly,a rod connecting the levers, a hand f I lever, and means connecting the hand lever to one of the gear operating leyers whereby the sliding gears may be operated so that the forward wheelsmaybe positively driven. 3'. In a vehicle driving mechanism, the combination with a frame, of an axle mounted' thereon, a vehicle wheel pivotally held at each end of the axle, a gear slidingly held 4 in whatever position they are placed bythie i steering mechanism, levers for niovin the gears on the axle inwardly or outwai" ly, a

and connecting the levers, a hand leveifand I on eachend of the axle, gears Connecting This specification signed and witnessed the gears on the ends of the angle to operate this 28th day of July A. D. 1908.

the wheels in whatever positlonthey are T placed, levers for moving the gears on the PHILIP 5 axle inwardly and outwardly, a rod connect- Witnesses:

ing the levers, and means for'opemting one W. A. TOWNER, Jr.,

of the levers. AwBECKER. 

